Relations between Bangladesh and India are set to be elevated to the next higher level when ten agreements will be inked covering a wide range of sectors, including inland waterways, trade and investment, as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrives here on Thursday for a four-day official visit and holds talks with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on October 5.
The two Prime Ministers will also jointly inaugurate three bilateral projects via video link, the Indian External Affairs Ministry said on Tuesday evening. Hasina, who is visiting India at the invitation of Modi, kicks off her visit by participating as Chief Guest at the India Economic Summit organized by the World Economic Forum on October 3 and 4 when she would showcase Bangladesh’s impressive economic growth and woo foreign investors to her country.
The framework agreement that will be signed on inland waterways is set to be a landmark one as it will pave the way for harnessing trade and economic benefits through common rivers and seas by adopting an integrated approach for the first time since the emergence of independent Bangladesh. The two countries are working to set up multimodal logistics terminal over the river Brahmaputra in Jogighopa of Assam and over the Ganges-Padma in Haldia of West Bengal which are set to be key transit points for rive-borne trade.
For the first time, a cargo ship carrying 1,000 tonnes of stone aggregates from Bhutan had reached Narayanganj river port on July 18 this year. The ship sailed via Dhubri in Assam and Chilmari in Bangladesh, cutting transportation time by eight days and travel cost by 30 percent. Haldia will be instrumental in carrying forward the objectives of the India-Bangladesh Coastal Shipping Agreement which is expected to be revised to allow port access and other operations of big vessels, facilitating greater coordination of cargo movement between Haldia port and Mongla port.
The Mongla-Khulna rail line, which is being funded by India, will make this route a multi-purpose one to reduce the pressure of cargo movement by road along Petrapole-Benapole land border. Ends During this first visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to India since the completion of parliamentary elections in Bangladesh and India, Sheikh Hasina will call on Indian President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and hold bilateral discussions with Modi at the Hyderabad House on October 5.
The two leaders would review the Rohingya and Teesta issues and the agreements the two countries will sign will cover areas like inland water connectivity which is set to be upgraded, culture, technical cooperation and trade and investment. Besides addressing the Indian Economic Forum, Hasina will have a joint meeting with three leading Indian chambers of commerce and industries on Friday. An MoU could be signed to establish a joint India-Bangladesh joint business council.
Hasina and Modi will hold the bilateral meeting at the Hyderabad House from 11.30 to 1:00 pm on Saturday, after which the Indian Prime Minister will host a lunch for Hasina.Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will call on the Bangladesh Prime Minister on Saturday morning hours before the Hasina-Modi talks.
Besides, visiting Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who is coming to attend the India Economic Summit, is also likely to call on Hasina on Friday while the Bangladesh premier is likely to meet India Congress Party Chief Sonia Gandhi on Sunday before returning to Dhaka. Hasina will also join a reception to be hosted by the Bangladesh High Commission here on October 3 when foreign diplomats and other dignitaries will be present.
Hasina will also have a meeting with eminent film director Shyam Benegal when the two are likely to deliberate on the making of the proposed feature film on the life and works of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibbur Rahman. Bangladesh and India are jointly producing the movie to mark his birth centenary year beginning next year.
An agreement on cultural exchanges between the two countries will be signed during her visit and under the deal, India will join Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birth centenary celebrations next year.
